Edgy (Marching Band) Sousaphone Sound

[David Richoux]

How about going to the Turkish/Middle East roots that also influenced "Western" music - with low brass, even! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14uB1vUT534

yeah, sure - we have gone way off topic, but after 19 pages, who really cares?

[Tuboss2]

Well, I do a video on page 19 that I was hoping to get some critique on...

[David Richoux]

I've always like that Balkan type tuba sound. Really compact sound in Balkan music.
Sometime I try to play with it as well, still working on it. Anyways, I don't know if y'all want to or not, but please critique this video I made yesterday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuYq7IUatRw
Questions I have are how loud am I playing
Does it sound good?
What are things I might have done wrong and how can I fix em?

Thanks.

Well, you break up too much on many of the notes, not centered on the pitch (almost getting a double tone sometimes.)
Don't blow quite so hard - you can still be loud without breaking up.
I don't want to sound too harsh, but I think it is not very good overall - think of the term "Solid" instead of just "Loud" as a goal and you will eventually get there.

[Untersatz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0DMJu9IcfU" target="_blank

Thanks BigTubby! you have opened up my eyes to a whole new use for a tuba in a modern music setting.
First off these guys: "Boom Pam" are amazing! & the effects that they use on the tuba can actually make it
sound like a bass guitar. I especially liked the effect when the tuba had the melody up in the higher register,
that was way cool

Just a note for tuboss2.........make your horn sound like this & you'll have something!

[bigbob]

Well, I do a video on page 19 that I was hoping to get some critique on...

Why don't you go to your band leader for critique??He would know better than anybody or go to your local pro bass player??What are you a JR. in high school?? If you want critiqueing Play a few month's 4 or 5 hours a day then record your self and get back to them They might be able to help ....Why don't you compare your recording to someone who plays the same song?? then you would know where you stand...you know.... blaty and weak ombisher practice, practice pracTice OH! did I mention PRACTICE.BB

[bigbob]

Thank You those groups were great!! The last one reminded me of beach music of the 70's like Wipeout<s> The tuba was fantastic!! did he have a mike on it??I hated the early kazoo music but was enlightened with all the different types of great tuba playing that wove through this thread just makes me want to play(practice) even more!!....BB

[Tuboss2]

I see. Well alright then. I do have just about a month till marching band camp starts, so ya. I'll just keep on practicing I guess, and just keep on listening to things I need to improve on. So what I basically got from that video was it a bit Blatty and it seemed like I was making some double tones/double buzz?

[David Richoux]

I see. Well alright then. I do have just about a month till marching band camp starts, so ya. I'll just keep on practicing I guess, and just keep on listening to things I need to improve on. So what I basically got from that video was it a bit Blatty and it seemed like I was making some double tones/double buzz?

Not double buzz - just normal "bad sounding notes" that don't have much musical quality. You need to develop control - that comes with practice (and a few years of playing.)

There is a big difference between making deliberate unusual sounds and just making bad notes - listen to Nat McIntosh or some other experienced players and hear the difference.

[Tuboss2]

I've also listened to him as well. He has a crap load of effects he does while playing.
Hm, I'll just keep practicing. I find it hard to play notes in the staff loud without blatting them.

[bigtubby]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0DMJu9IcfU" target="_blank

Thanks BigTubby! you have opened up my eyes to a whole new use for a tuba in a modern music setting.
First off these guys: "Boom Pam" are amazing! & the effects that they use on the tuba can actually make it
sound like a bass guitar. I especially liked the effect when the tuba had the melody up in the higher register,
that was way cool

Just a note for tuboss2.........make your horn sound like this & you'll have something!

You probably want to turn all of these up.

There are talented folks doing very interesting things with tubas, at least one of them hangs out here on Tubenet, Joe Exley AKA Tuba Joe:


Janos Mazura is another amazing player. Here is the Hungarian band "Someday Baby" who like to cover American roots music. Like Boom Pam they are a guitar/Tuba/Drum Kit trio. Check out the slap bass effect (compression maybe?) starting around 2:07:


A favorite video of theirs pretty much sans effects, just tasty tuba work:

[Tuboss2]

Good stuff.

[Tuboss2]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PrYsu-jgf0
Hm, there loud and they seem to be cranking at the same level so no one is really sticking out...thoughts?

[Untersatz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PrYsu-jgf0
Hm, there loud and they seem to be cranking at the same level so no one is really sticking out...thoughts?

I'll admit that the playing in this video demonstrates the best control & the sound is not breaking up or distorted (like some of the other videos you have posted). However, if all you want to do is blast & make train horn sounds, then this is it I guess

[Tuboss2]

No no I don't wanna just blast all the time. Though it is fun when I do. I just wanna make sure when I blast I'm doing it right. Ya know what I mean?

[Untersatz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyBsBg8uPnQ" target="_blank" target="_blank

Here's one that really sounded good IMHO. Yeah they are playing loud & with a bright edgy sound, but not
overblowing to the point of sounding like kazoos & being distorted. AND they are playing as a band, not just
sousaphones trying to blast as loud as they can.
(the band doesn't start playing until after 15:30 so skip ahead)
Sousaphones by themselves at 28:16 and they do blast a bit, but at least they mix it up & play some low stuff too

[bigbob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PrYsu-jgf0
Hm, there loud and they seem to be cranking at the same level so no one is really sticking out...thoughts?

Just plain nasty

I agree Stryk.....Thats barfin Loud and don't make it any better...Practice tuboss2 ...you must be really bored to send soooooooooooo many lousy tuba sounds....just my opion...B B PS.....PRACTICE!!!!

[Tuboss2]

Indeed man. I feel like horsepower is the best at cranking and still sound like a section while doing it. And as you said, they aren't overblowing. Now,just so I have something to mirror and not do, could you by chance link a video of sousaphones who sound like kazoos? When playing loud? Just want to know what that sounds like so I know when I'm going too far. Thanks.

[Untersatz]

Indeed man. I feel like horsepower is the best at cranking and still sound like a section while doing it. And as you said, they aren't overblowing. Now,just so I have something to mirror and not do, could you by chance link a video of sousaphones who sound like kazoos? When playing loud? Just want to know what that sounds like so I know when I'm going too far. Thanks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QqAIn9b ... r_embedded" target="_blank

[k001k47]

[Tuboss2]

Tubamusikmann, your funny for that one.
And stryx, they do? Hm. Well, could it be that their playing high and are overblowing in the high register that causes the kazoo sound? And perhaps do you(or any body) for that matter have a video of a tuba section that isn't over blowing. I've seen auburn...quite frankly that's all I've seen.